Modi must be aware that fighting terrorism must not mean killing democracy

13th-Jun-2016

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not name Pakistan but had a clear message in his speech on June 9 to the US Congress: Terrorism "is incubated in India's neighbourhood," he said, stressing that those who harbour, support or sponsor terrorists, and separate religion from terrorism must be "isolated".In a speech regularly interrupted by applause, Mr Modi did not mention China either but at as concerns grow for disputes over the South China Sea, he said "India also helps ensure security of the sea lanes and commerce and freedom of navigation on seas."The PM is the fifth Indian leader since 1985 to address a joint session of the US Congress, and the first foreign leader to be invited to do so this year. This three-day visit is the fourth time that the PM has travelled to the US since he took office. He met with President Barack Obama, who reiterated America's support for India's entry to the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group), which currently has 48 countries who trade in sophisticated nuclear technology and material while ensuring it is not used for weapons.Terrorism is basically of two types - state sponsored or public and private sponsored.Countries which the West think are or were major sponsors of terrorism included, in the past, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, and North Korea. But unfortunately by destabilising Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria the level of terrorism in the world went up manifold. Afghanistan was the birthplace of the Mujahideen, a core group of which later became Al Qaeda under Bin Laden. When Iraq fractured it gave rise to ISIS - once again a faction of Al Qaeda which started to destabilise Syria. So we see that the penchant for the West to play God in certain nations has infact lead to a more rapid increase in terrorism - the fall of the authoritarian regimes in Iraq and Libya have done much to destabilise these countries - but the West is unlikely to lose much sleep over it.Similarly Iran became a terrorist nation because it supports Hezbollah which is striving to legitimately end the discriminations and suffering of the Palestinians - but here also the West is shortsighted as the real terrorist nation should be Israel-even its Deputy Chief Major Gen Yair Golan said that Israel resembled in some ways Nazi Germany of the 1930s. Although he was forced to retract his statement later even Israel's Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog praised his statement as a statement of moral responsibility.Unfortunately the West sees terrorism with uniquely myopic vision - Nelson Mandela and Yasser Arafat, previously certified as terrorists, were both the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. So firstly terrorism must be defined properly, and then we can see the link between public and private terrorism - as we have seen, one begets the other. The reluctance of the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of Rohingyas is one incident where the state is indirectly sponsoring private terrorism-which is not far different from the state sponsored Nazi party thugs who made life hell for the Jews in the 1930s. All forms of terrorism must be addressed - wherever they may occur in the world. We have also to accept that state-sponsored terrorism is the worst plunging the whole country into a civil war. We expect Mr Modi, the Prime Minister of India, to understand that fighting terrorism will be counter productive if that allows state-terrorism to kill democracy. During cold war, the US government was ready to support worst autocrats if they proclaimed to be anti-Communist. Vietnam is the worst example how the US had to accept shameful defeat and run away from Vietnam. So about fighting terrorism nobody should take the US strategy as right to end terrorism. It has been claimed by a responsible source of the Indian government that India will help to bring political stability in Bangladesh. In our situation of bureaucracy dominated government, it is to be accepted as a welcome move if pursued honestly in the belief the political stability can come from the people's government.

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